Or Perishing Indie Voice [[SeparatedByACommonLanguage for European audiences]].

Big thing in TheNineties, though with a few precursors in the late Eighties, and still more in the Sixties and onwards, this is singing in the voice of somebody who 1) sounds as if they're wasting away and can hardly find the energy to vocalize, with 2) attendant flattening of the emotional tone [[note]]In bad cases, it ''can'' be the musical equivalent of DullSurprise[[/note]]. Comes in a number of flavours, from ennui and [[DeadpanSnarker snark]] to sexed-out bliss to severe burnout. Sonically ranges from wispy to droney, though a fair number of Perishing Singers occupy less easily defined in-between territory, e.g. Music/LouReed, [[Music/{{Pulp}} Jarvis Cocker]], and (depending [even] more on the song) [[Music/{{Radiohead}} Thom Yorke]].

The PerishingAltRockVoice may be interspersed with {{Metal Scream}}s and Stuttering Wailing; it also frequently leads to {{Mondegreen}}s and IndecipherableLyrics, as well as SomethingSomethingLeonardBernstein. A staple of {{Grunge}} and ShoeGazing, as well as the bread and butter of DreamPop, with a tendency to make surprise appearances in {{Industrial}}. May overlap in use with Emo Whispering and {{Yarling}}: while it's easy to sound perishing if you're singing nasally [[note]]because you're actually blocking the nose and thereby getting less air[[/note]], a lot of perishing singers (like Music/MyBloodyValentine, or Thom from {{Radiohead}}) aren't nasal at all, and (as per above) they're usually far from emoting overtly. Not infrequently crosses over into CreepyMonotone or DissonantSerenity. Related to ThreeChordsAndTheTruth, in that the more fanatical ones regard polished, full-bodied singing as fake and scratchy singing as authentic.

Basically, this trope is the difference between e.g.[[SonicYouth Ciccone Youth's]] version [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUCLoPFvNKY "Into the groove"]] and {{Music/Madonna}}'s [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ne3wtH9aym0 original]].

This trope [[TropesAreTools is not necessarily a bad thing]] and this vocal style has provided quite a few [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome crowning moments of awesome]].

----!Examples:

* Andrej Bukas (Андрей Букас) can do a [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=a_YnKpMunYAVERY impressive example of the full range of this trope.]] TearJerker warning.* Probably the most perished example of this trope is Mark Kozelek from Music/RedHousePainters and Music/SunKilMoon. The complete lifelessness in his voice in every song he sings just makes the music all the more depressing.* Music/KurtCobain from Music/{{Nirvana}}. His songs often alternated between quiet passages of this and a louder, more energetic sound.* Music/{{Beck}}* Most of the indie/AlternativeRock side of {{BritPop}} sounded like this at times.* Win Butler of Music/ArcadeFire pulls this out fairly often. * John [=Mcrea=] of Music/{{Cake}}, cf. "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__PU5CVSegg The Distance]]"** "The Distance" is actually not typical of John [=McCrea=]'s vocal style. He doesn't normally deliver the lyrics like a robot. Normally he sounds more like [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hf8AiX-ELVY this]], using a vocal style called ''sprechgesang''.* For Music/{{Can}}, both their first vocalists sound like this at times, with a tendency to Stuttering Wailing on the part of both, and (primarily) to Emo Whispering on the part of Damo.* Courtney Taylor-Taylor from Music/TheDandyWarhols.* Chino Moreno of {{Deftones}} alternates between this style and MetalScream.** As does Richard Patrick from Filter.* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Good Matthew Good]]* Music/ImogenHeap seems like a strong female example.* Jeremy Enigk of Music/SunnyDayRealEstate. * Chris Simpson of the short lived emo band Mineral. * Jim and Willaim Reid of Music/TheJesusAndMaryChain* Ed Kowalczyk of Music/{{Live}}* David Usher from [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moist_(Canadian_band) Moist]]. They even have a song called "Pleasing Falsetto" which is sung in this style.* Music/MyBloodyValentine, collectively.* Music/NewOrder, especially through TheEighties.* [[Music/NineInchNails Trent Reznor]] sounds like this a lot of the time, except for the times he [[CarefulWithThatAxe screams]].* Music/MarilynManson, when not [[CarefulWithThatAxe screaming]], singing somewhat normally or taking a stroll through yet another musical genre, with his standard always-sounding-like-he's-gonna-pass-out singing, is often this, especially in softer songs or softer sections of songs, like "The Nobodies".* Stephen Malkmus from Music/{{Pavement}}* [[Music/ThePixies Black Francis]], some of the time, mostly when he's not [[CarefulWithThatAxe screaming]]. [[Music/ThePixies Kim]] [[Music/TheBreeders Deal]], most of the time.* Ian [=McCulloch=] from Music/EchoAndTheBunnymen had a quivering wail in TheEighties and TheNineties, followed by a deeper rasp in TheNoughties after years of smoking.* Thom Yorke from Music/{{Radiohead}}.* Chris Martin from Music/{{Coldplay}}.* Jarvis Cocker of Music/{{Pulp}}. * Michael Stipe from Music/{{REM}} can make this sound like tightly controlled passion rather than fading wastedness.* Brian Aubert from the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silversun_Pickups Silversun Pickups]].* Billy Corgan of Music/TheSmashingPumpkins.* Both Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore from Music/SonicYouth.* Jason Pierce from {{Spiritualized}}.* The as-yet-unnamed main singer from ''WebAnimation/HomestarRunner'''s FakeBand, "sloshy".* For the Music/VelvetUnderground, there's Lou's dry version (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xcwt9mSbYE ) and Music/{{Nico}}'s Euro-dirge one (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KiU5P4ihIQ ). John Cale also definitely qualifies, as does his replacement, Doug Yule. Velvet Underground may well be the {{Trope Maker}}s.* {{Starflyer 59}} started off like this, as Jason tried to sing falsetto to imitate the shoegaze bands he liked, but wasn't able to put much volume behind it. Since switching to indie-pop, Jason's switched to a vocal range he's more comfortable with, so his volume has gradually increased, though he's still pretty monotone.* Ditto Ronnie Martin of JoyElectric. Perhaps he doesn't want to sound out of place among all those synthesizers.* Sometimes, but not always, Julian Casablancas of Music/TheStrokes - "Is This It" is a good example.* Hope Sandoval of Mazzy Star sings like this.* Charlie Simpson from FightStar fits all the criteria listed above.* Anders Friden from InFlames, when he's not [[HarshVocals growling]], uses a vocal style that is very reminiscent of this trope despite InFlames being a MelodicDeathMetal band. (although their later work incorporates greater levels of AlternativeMetal.* Both singers of the xx have this, always.* LisaGermano.* ''[[{{Music/Gorillaz}} Windmill, windmill, for the land, turn forever hand-in-hand.]]''** [[{{Music/Gorillaz}} I ain't happy, I'm feeling' glad/I've got sunshine in a bag...]]** See also: Music/{{blur}}.* Lena Kowski of Jabberwock, when she's not busy inducing CarefulWithThatAxe.* Julie Christmas, when she's not screaming.* Used to great effect by current indie darlings [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPqr7v8hSG4 Warpaint]] * Brian Molko of {{Placebo}}, moreso in earlier songs.* The Wygal sisters of {{Splendora}} were queens of the alt-rock monotone, which is almost certainly why they got to do the theme song for ''{{Daria}}''.** Speaking of ''Daria'', love interest [[DreadfulMusician Trent Lane]] ''tries'' to pull this sound off, but ends up sounding totally stoned (and probably is).* OKGo tends towards this, but the level of "perishing" varies between songs. The most evident example is probably their cover of TheCure's "The Lovecats," which is [[IntercourseWithYou fairly obviously]] of the "sexed-out bliss" variety.* Black Moth Super Rainbow later became known for running all of their lead vocals through vocoder, but their first album, ''Falling Through A Field'', more often featured vocalist Tobacco singing in a hoarse, monotone whisper through some light distortion instead. Arguably, he sounded more like he was from the UncannyValley ''before'' he started using a vocoder.* Alice Glass of Music/CrystalCastles does this on "Celestica" and "Tell Me What To Swallow", the latter used to TearJerker effect once the [[AbusiveParents meaning of the lyrics]] becomes clear.* Jonas Renske from Katatonia sings like he's permanently on the verge of having an emotional breakdown after being traumatized for years.* NickDrake may not be the TropeMaker (Lou Reed and John Cale probably have a heavier claim) but he could certainly qualify as one of the {{Trope Codifier}}s.* A recurring but not chronic habit of Natalie Merchant's during her tenure with Music/TenThousandManiacs.* Remarkably early example (of the ennui/snark variety) in ''Film/{{Bedazzled 1967}}'' (1967) - Stanley (Dudley Moore) wishes to be a pop star and is instantly in a ''Ready, Steady, Go'' style show, passionately singing his heart out. His thunder is immediately stolen when the Devil (Peter Cook) does a droning number, dismissing his backup singers' praises in a robotic monotone[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1OHlLICfEk]].* Jack White with his Music/TheWhiteStripes, side project bands and solo careers. ''Especially'' live. One moment he's droning in monotones, the next he's screaming with the utmost control, the next moment he could ''start preaching to the crowd''. Also count his guitar; he's wrings out every note worthy of being in the song.* Geoff Rickly of Music/{{Thursday}} loves to use this as much as he loves to [[CarefulWithThatAxe utilize his screams]]. Especially in the 90's-heavy ''Waiting'' and the more expansive ''No Devolución''.* J. Loren of the band HURT uses this often. Most notable in "Overdose". Justified, there, as the narrator is explaining the reasons behind [=ODing=], and 'dies' at the end.* Mark Gardner of Music/{{Ride}}.* NeilYoung does this in his very early recordings, e.g. "On The Way Home" and "After The Gold Rush". Some fans consider him the TropeMaker.* Joe Newman of Music/AltJ.* Ichirō Yamaguchi sings this way in {{Music/Sakanaction}}'s song "Monochrome Tokyo". It starts pretty monotonous, and then in the chorus he almost sounds like he's in pain.* Canadian band/comedy troupe Radio Free Vestibule (aka The Vestibules) invoked this along with nearly every other 90's alt-rock trope in their self-explanatory [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwujU8nra2o The Grunge Song]].